Mullaney, Kathrine F. Catholic Pittsfield and the Berkshire. Pittsfield, Massachusetts: Press of the Sun Printing, 1897.
“Rev. Fr. Charles Lynch, date unknown. First pastor of the Parish of St. Francis, itself the first Roman Catholic church in North Adams.”
This primary source discusses the establishment of St. Francis of Assisi parish in North Adams and the appointment Father Charles Lynch as the first Priest of the Irish Church in the Berkshires. Father Lynch was offered the position in North Adams in 1863 after serving for many years in another Catholic church in Pittsfield. He was only in North Adams for a short time before he realized that the church they were currently in was too small for the congregation so he called for the establishment of a new church, St. Francis of Assisi. After spending up to twelve hours a day toiling at the mills and factories the men of the parish build St. Francis on the corner of Eagle and Union St. He also called for a Catholic school, St. Joseph’s, to be built for the children of the Irish Immigrants some years later. He served for 21 years as the head priest for the Irish and was beloved by the community. “He did more towards making it a law-abiding community than legislatures and public officers every did” (pg. 183). He sadly died on May 30th of 1883 due to paralysis at the age of 53. Thousands came to his funeral and every business in North Adams closed. He asked not to have a great statue or monument in his honor, as he wanted St. Francis to remain his greatest achievement, however, “his loving people were not content that their good father should lie without the usual testimony of affectionate remembrance marking his grave, therefore a granite memorial stands above him, as a tribute to his memory” (pg. 186).
Photo from:
Marino, Paul W. . “A Grave Situation .” Paulwmarino.org. Accessed September 25, 2017. http://paulwmarino.org/a-grave-situation.html.
Very interesting Kaitlyn. I am particularly intrigued by this quotation, “He did more towards making it a law-abiding community than legislatures and public officers every did” (pg. 183). Was N. Adams NOT a law-abiding community before Father Lynch arrived? Such would be the indication. There might be some history, some human activity that left a record.
Is this the church that was recently torn down? If so, then where is Fr. Lynch buried?
It seems to me that the church was somehow the “glue” that held the immigrant community together. This source will be useful in pursuing such an argument. Religion, and food, are powerful cultural influencers.